Businessman’s Clark shipment was drug-free – PDEA
A BUSINESSMAN, who was earlier accused of having laced marijuana in a shipment of hygienic products at the Bureau of Customs-Port of Clark (BOC-Clark) in September last year, has already been cleared twice by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Cleared were businessman Frederick Juan and Leonardo Gabalfin, were questioned due to suspicion that they had illegal substance laced in the liquid soap and toothpaste last September 20, 2020, at the Clark Freeport.
However, in a post-operation report, copy of which was released only recently, Clark International Airport-Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (CIA-IADITG) Chief Joseph L. Samson reported to PDEA Region 3 Director Christian O. Frivaldo that the operation yielded negative results after chemical analysis of the seized hygienic products showed that “neither dangerous drugs (DD) nor control precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs)” was found in them.
On September 29, 2020, PDEA Provincial Officer Vidal DC Bacolod also issued a certification, reiterating that the shipment of hygienic products yielded negative results for DD and CPECs.
Bacolod also reported that PDEA has already cleared Juan, and that “no criminal charge was filed against him”.
Juan and Gabalfin have vehemently denied any illegal activity, and said that the importation of the liquid hand soap and toothpaste was a result of a legitimate transaction and business of the company. They added that the first sample had already been tested, and this turned out to be negative.
